Top 3 crushing set-ups for concrete recycling

Did you know that your waste concrete could be turned into a valuable construction material?

Imagine turning what would otherwise have been thrown away or dumped into a useful aggregate that can help your business make money and save the planet at the same time. Want to know more? In this article, we will show you the different types of crushers and help you choose one that fits your business best.

Most common crushers: jaw vs impact

Jaw crusher

The name jaw comes from the mechanical action of the crusher breaking up rock and concrete in the same way our jaws break up food. One fixed and one swinging plate allows the crusher to easily break up concrete slabs and other hard, abrasive materials. Crushed output will be more slate-like with an oblong shape because it relies on the material fracturing along its own natural grain lines.

Impact crusher

Impact crushers break concrete with a rotor. The rotor contains "hammers,” which hit the feed material and throw it against impact plates inside the crusher. Unlike jaw crushers, which have a fixed gap through which the material can pass, impact crushers have a variable output size. This means that the end product will be a mixture of different sizes. Oversized pieces of concrete will be removed by a recirculation screen and returned back into the crusher to be broken down further, removing the need for a secondary crusher. Impact crushers are also known as 'Horizontal Shaft Grinders'.

Since the output is cuboid/spherical in shape, it makes the material produced by impact crushers better for compacting and transporting. These qualities make impact crusher products more desirable than jaw crusher output.

What is the best concrete crusher for your business?

The choice of the crusher depends on multiple factors, such as the size of your business, your budget, and the type of material you want—for example, if you want to produce DOT approved material*.

A small jaw crusher: The beginner

Your experience level:

• I'm starting my crushing business.
• Normally I send waste to landfills, but I'd like to reduce the amount.
• I want to add another service to my business.
• I’m interested to find out how much revenue crushing could generate.

Your needs:

• I want to make my own material.
• The material will be reused for residential or private projects—no requirement for DOT approval.
• I need 3/4” crushed concrete or crushed stones of no particular size.
• It must be easy to use.

Budget: From $85k

Recommended machine: A small tracked jaw crusher

What are the benefits for your business?

• Ideal machine for recycling construction and demolition waste.
• Suitable for concrete, rock, cement, and more.
• This jaw crusher is compact and equipped with tracks for better mobility.
• Last but not least, you can reduce transport costs by reusing crushed material directly on your demolition site. Smaller material is more easily compacted and takes up less space, reducing the number of dumpsters needed.

Specifications:

A mid-sized jaw crusher & screener: The intermediate

Your experience level:

• I have already started crushing
• I know there is an opportunity to make my own construction material by recycling.

Your needs:

• My budget is limited, but I need a machine with the same capabilities as the impact crusher.
• I want to produce DOT-approved materials that I can sell.

Budget: $300k to $700k

Recommended Machine: A mid-sized jaw crusher and screener combined

What are the benefits for your business?

• With this combined machine, you can have your own on-site recycling plant.
• The crusher/screener combination provides excellent versatility: it can process asphalt, demolition waste, recycling waste, concrete, and much more.
• You can screen material into two different sizes of product.
• The machine can fit inside a container. So it can be moved from site to site with ease.
• The volume capacity of the jaw crusher + screener is approximately 50 tph to 150 tph, depending on configuration.

Specifications:

The impactor: the “all in one” for the expert

Your experience level:

• I have good knowledge about crushing.
• I am already selling or reusing crushed material.

Your needs:

• I want to make my own DOT-approved material.
• I need to crush and screen with one machine.
• Increasing the value of the material that I am selling right now.
• I want a higher output volume.

Recommended machine: An impact crusher

What are the benefits for your business?

• An all-in-one machine featuring a closed circuit crusher allows you to crush and screen simultaneously.
• This is one of the biggest and most powerful mobile impactors on the market. It can reduce the size of materials at a high input-to-output ratio.
• No need to worry about blocking issues: Thanks to its release system, the machine can solve them itself.
• It requires only one person to operate the whole system. The rest of your team can be dedicated to other business needs.
• Easy to set up, use, and maintain.
• Heavy-duty impactor capable of running all day.

Choosing to recycle your concrete is a great decision for both the environment and your pocket. Depending on your knowledge of mobile crushing, your needs (size of material to be crushed and type of product required), and your budget, selecting the best concrete crusher for your business can be a difficult process. To help you make the right decision, the team at Machinery Partner has created a comparative table for you to download below.

Still not sure which machine is right for you and your business? Machinery partner carries a full range of crushers to match every budget and use case, so reach out today to speak directly with one of our crushing experts.

We also supply a huge range of equipment from screeners to excavators for all your business needs!

*What is DOT-approved material?

To ensure the safe transportation of materials, the Department of Transportation (DOT) in the U.S. defines the standards for classification and labelling of construction materials. The Approved Materials List (AML) was developed to know the materials that need extensive sampling/testing, performance evaluation, source audits, etc. These requirements provide for packaging specifications and afford operational rules that must be followed. DOT-approved material is only required for certain/specific jobs such as large roadworks, infrastructure, and building projects. Most residential and smaller projects don’t need to follow these requirements.